Movie Review: 'Skyfall'

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem and others

Star rating: ***

Being the film to mark the 50th anniversary of Bond films, Skyfall had a lot going for it. From the teasers to the trailer to the soundtrack, this film had the audiences guessing and was eagerly awaited by all. Daniel Craig as Bond has been greatly appreciated by the audience and his gritty ruthlessness makes him more true to the books by Ian Fleming than previous Bonds. When it was revealed that Adele would lending her sultry vocals to the opening credits of Skyfall, it made people sit up and listen and was already on everyone's lips even before the film's release. 

James Bond (Craig) is back on his travels again and on a mission in Turkey to track down a list of agents infiltrating terrorist organisations all over the world. With a fantastically orchestrated car chase which ends up on the train where Bond is shot by his fellow agent. After being presumed dead rather than missing, Bond tries to head off and  lead a quiet life when he is sucked right back in after a bomb is planted wrecking MI6 Millbank headquarters. Madame M (Dench) contemplates her future at MI6 as agents lie dead around her in coffins whilst Bond travels to go and find Silva (Bardem), a suave hannibal who holds a grudge against M and MI6 for not appreciating him as an agent. 

It has to be said that this film has felt more British than any other Bond films have been. The London backdrop does make the film a lot more real and reminds the audience that it is indeed a British franchise. The chase through the underground tunnels of Winston Churchill's bunker and the tube tunnels are fascinating to see on the big screen. Craig is at his best as Bond, though looking remarkably older and worn out than he has ever been. It is good to see that even though 007 is indestructible, he still feels the effects of ageing. The Bond girls are as dispensable as always. What was really brilliant to watch was the chemistry between Dench and Craig, both of whom have real tension that has never been noticed before by the audience. Dench's almost maternal instinct towards Bond is endearing and the fact that her intentions were not always strictly pure when it came to her agents really makes the whole relationship even more interesting.